Insights and analysis for the media industry

There is no doubt about it, pirates are criminals. Unfortunately they are also entrepreneurs. They know that high quality, compelling content offered at a reasonable price sells! As such all legal content – thematic channels, recent movie releases, and particularly live sport – is a target. Unless investments are protected, content is not safe.

More and more are out there
As you know from my earlier post , we are facing a wave of piracy larger than ever before.

Could an innocent device like a STB, webcam or home thermostat be used by hackers to attack you? In the current world of the Internet of Things (IoT), the answer is Yes! Leading to the name Internet of Threats. But operators have the power to change this.

IoT promises connected convenience at consumer’s fingertips. From adjusting your home heating when you land back at the airport, to checking your home security remotely if the alarm goes off while you’re out. Consumers depend on their operator to be the trusted party and remove any privacy or security implications.

Marketers rely on analytics for evidence-based decision making. And analytic tools provide the insight needed into the customer viewing experience and drives continual improvement. But how reliable are those decisions if the insight doesn’t give the full picture?

Online video is exploding
There’s no doubt about it, the popularity of online video continues to grow. As a core offering, it’s right that pay-TV operators want to better understand the trends and operational performance affecting their business and be able to respond more effectively.

Finally mobile payment is starting to take off. Yet, for it to become a true success story, establishing trust is paramount. The question is, is software security the hero or villain of this story?

How safe is it?
Security and fraud prevention concerns are key drivers in the slow uptake of mobile payments. Can someone else use my smart phone to make purchases?
Identity verification and device based authentication are the cornerstones for any mobile payment transaction. Put simply, is it you and are the security assets for the point of sale (POS) secured within the device. This can be achieved using either hardware or software.

As you know from my earlier post, we’re facing a wave of piracy bigger than we’ve ever seen before. OTT piracy – aka content redistribution – is today’s biggest threat. But is it down to the pay-TV operators or content rights holders to take on this fight?

A common enemy
There’s no doubt about it. Online pirates are bad for business. Pay-TV operators are facing potential subscriber churn to cheaper illegal services. For content rights holders this is an emerging threat affecting loss of revenue as these alternative sources are diluting the value of the content.

Do you ever get phone calls from friends and family who need help with their computer or DVD player? Troubleshooting is often challenging, but over the phone it can get almost surreal; “The Google’s not working… oh, wait, the Google’s back working again” [sic]

Although I am no computer expert, nor even a “digital native”, I am the family’s favorite geek when it comes to technology. Recently, this has …

Many aspects of our lives are dependent on credentials such as logins, passwords or pin codes. As technology continues to be more IP driven and the world more connected, how safe are these credentials that we rely on so much?

You are the target
Credit card numbers have limited value – more information is needed to target you. As Bloomberg highlights, attacks on medical records are increasing because the data is richer. Identity theft requires accessing systems which have more information about you.

Up to now, your viewers open their browser, go to your website, hit play and it just works. Right?

On web browsers, DRM plugins are being phased out. Next month, both PC and MAC users will be affected when Google stops support for the Silverlight plugin on Chrome. So, how is this impacting your viewer base?

Cybercrime is big business. And the impact is far reaching. No organization is immune. Cable and Satellite operators with their large number of STBs could be vulnerable to attack. Can anything be done to minimize the risk?

Changing face of cybercrime
Hackers are no longer teenagers wanting to gain notoriety. Over the years, we’ve witnessed cybercrime change.